Device for sorting and directing conical bobbins



March 17, 1970 J, ROEZTGIERINK ETAL 3,500,985

DEVICE FOR SOR'I'ING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BOBBINS Filed. Aug. 25, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BOBBINS Filed Aug. 25. 1967 J. A. ROETGERINK AL March 17, 1970 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 .1. A. ROETGERINK ETAL 3,500,985

DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BQBBINS Filed Aug. 25, 1967 March 17, 1970 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mm mm March 17, 1970 f J. AROETGERINK ETAL 3,500,985

DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BQBBINS Filed Aug. 25, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

March 17, 1970 RQE-TGERINK ETAL 3,500,985

DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BOBBINS Filed Aug. 25, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 17, 1970 J. A. ROETGERINK ETA!- DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING GONICAL BOBBINS Filed Aug. 25. 19s? fi k m f r 2 a 4 mm on n KMQHHM m PI: 8

United States Patent 3,500,985 DEVICE FOR SORTING AND DIRECTING CONICAL BOBBINS Johannes A. Roetgerink and Gerardus P. Muller, Hengelo,

Netherlands, assignors to Machinefabriek M. Brouwer & Co. N .V., Hengelo, Netherlands Filed Aug. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 663,430 Claims priority, applicatiorsFrance, Sept. 2, 1966,

Int. Cl. 1565;; 47/24 US. Cl. 198-33 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a device for sorting conical bobbins and bringing them into a position in which their smaller diameter is situated in a definite direction.

Such devices, constructed for sorting bobbins, are used increasingly. Automatic installations, in which the full bobbins by means of suitable mechanism are replaced with empty ones, require that the empty bobbins are supplied in a definite position, to wit with the smaller diameter directed toward one side. When this replacing is effected by hand, as is still frequently done in the textile industry, it is obvious that it is easy for the operators when the bobbins are moved forward in a directed position. It may be desirable to dispose the bobbins separately beside one another in a container or to telescope them for the formation of so called sticks.

A known device for effecting this operation is provided with a chute at which the bobbins, situated transverse thereto are moved forward at the upper end. The bobbins can freely roll down and, due to their conical shape, they will finally assume at the end of the slide a position in which their end with the greater diameter is directed downwardly. It is obvious thatthe capacity of this known device is very limited and the sorting operation requires rather much manual labour, while the machine is not capable of delivering the bobbins on sticks.

It is an object of the invention to provide a sorting device by the aid of which conical bobbins can be brought into the desired position fast and mechanically and by which they can be delivered either in the shape of a stick or situated beside one another in a container with their corresponding ends directed to the same side.

A device according to the invention for sorting the bobbins in this way comprises a sorting chute, open on its upper side, to which the bobbins can be supplied one by one, while each bobbin is moved toward one of the two receiving stations on either side of the chute through the agency of a sorting member reciprocated on the open side of the chute and pressed to the bottom thereof due to spring action, and the underneath face of this sorting member, the latter in its downward movement being limited by an abutment, is in the rest position above the bottom of the chute for a distance smaller than the greater diameter of the bobbin and greater than the smaller di ameter of the bobbin.

The sorting member consists preferably of an oblong finger of which the end directed away from the chute is pivotally supported in a carrier which can move along a guide situated before the chute and which is coupled to a driving member causing the reciprocating movement. The sorting finger can conveniently have an adjusting screw which cooperates with an abutment situated thereunder.

The receiving station can consist of a V-shaped receiving chute with an open upper side, of which the two lateral walls can be moved in a transverse direction for discharging the telescoped bobbins, and over which a resilient pusher is disposed, pressing at least the first bobbin, introduced into the chute by the pressure finger, with friction against the bottom face of the chute. Such a device permits of the bobbins being sorted into a number of units consisting of telescoped bobbins. A control feeler can be provided in the proximity of each receiving chute in order to open the chute and to discharge the telescoped bobbins after a definite number thereof has been introduced into the chute. The feeler can consist of an abutment situated in spaced relationship from and in line with the chute, the spacing being adjustable.

According to the invention a device delivering the bobbins sorted in juxtaposition and in a definite direction is constructed in such a way that at each receiving station a movable conveyor is provided transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sorting chute and of which the drive is synchronized with that of the sorting device, this conveyor being capable of introducing the bobbin into a container in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.

Preferably the container, fitted with a swing bottom, is on the side, directed toward the receiving station, provided with a barrier permitting the bobbins to pass in one direction only.

Another device likewise delivering the bobbins sorted in juxtaposition and uniformly directed is according to the invention characterized in that, starting from the two receiving stations, a curved path connecting both stations and extending before the sorting chute is provided which cooperates with two carriers staggered through and each capable of movement from the respective receiving stations as far as a central point before the sorting chute, while by the aid of these carriers, of which the drive is synchronized with the drive of the sorting finger, a bobbin that is present in a receiving station can be brought into a position perpendicular to the sorting chute.

Each carrier consists preferably of one or more spring loaded presser fingers protruding above the plane of two curved guide rails and capable of riding up on the side of a bobbin.

A preferred container for receiving the sorted bobbins consists of a reception space positioned above the guide rails and of which the bottom is composed of two flaps which can turn on axles extending perpendicular to the sorting chute, the free ends of the fiaps being situated over a symmetry axis extending perpendicular to the sorting chute and through the midst thereof, the container being movable in a direction perpendicular to the sorting chute to above a transport box.

The mechanism for feeding bobbins to the sorting device consists preferably of an endless .belt, guided on rollers, provided with traverse supports and with an upwardly inclined part on which the bobbins are fed forward from a profiled feed path, the latter being perpendicular to the belt and ending over same, and which via a guide roller merges into a steep downwardly extending part from which the bobbins are taken by a guide plate extending to above the sorting chute.

A preferred embodiment, whereby the bobbins are prevented from landing in an irregular way and groupwise on the feed path, is characterized in that the bobbins are moved from a bin onto the feed path via a slantwise upwardly running conveyor belt on which rows of projections are provided, while each row is arranged according 3 a V-shaped pattern with the point turned toward the lirection of conveyance.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the nvention will appear in the description to follow. In the iescription reference is made to the accompanying draw- .ngs, which form a part hereof, and in which there is ihOWIl by way of illustration and not of limitation specific forms in which the invention may be embodied.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view representing a part of the ;orting mechanism to a larger scale than shown in FIG- URE FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically the effect of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically a modified embodiment;

FIG. 4 represents a section of the container employed n the embodiment according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sorting device accord- .ng to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the sorting device .n which likewise the mechanism according to FIGURE 1 is applied;

FIG. 7 represents diagrammatically the effect of the device according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 shows a section of the container to be used in :ombination with the device according to the FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a sorting device :ombined with a feed path for the bobbins;

FIG. 10 shows a plan view of a conveyor belt to be .lSCd with the feed path for the bobbins.

A sorting device, of which FIG. 5 shows an embodirnent and a part of which is shown to, a larger scale in FIG. 1 consists of a V shaped sorting chute 1 with an open upper side to which the bobbins, one of which is ;hown situated in the sorting chute and denoted by the reference 2, are fed, one by one, via the slanting guide path 3.

Before the sorting chute is a guide rod 4 along which the carrier 5 can move. Connected with the rod and pivotally arranged on a shaft 7 is a sorting finger 6 which is pressed downwardly by a spring (not shown). The carrier is provided with a guide pin 8 driven by the fork 9 which is reciprocated in front of the sorting chute. Screwed into the sorting finger 6 is an adjusting screw 11, the end of which cooperates with an abutment 12 situated thereunder. The arrangement is such that for bobbins of a certain size the underneath face of the pressure finger 6 can move over the end with the smaller diameter and, in opposition to the action of the spring 7, can ride up on the inclined upper side of the bobbin without displacing same but when it approaches the end with the greater diameter it strikes the bobbin and thereby pushes same ahead. The effect of the device is apparent from the FIG. 2. The sorting finger 6 moves to and fro in front of the sorting chute l in the direction of the arrows 13a, 13b respectively. [n the event of the rightward stroke (arrow 13a) the sorting finger 6 is at the end of its path over the smaller end of the bobbin 14; about halfway the bobbin the sorting finger contacts the surface and is then urged upwardly in opposition to the action of the spring, without, however, taking along the bobbin. At the end of its rightward stroke the sorting finger falls behind the wide end of the bobbin [4. When now the finger moves leftwardly in the direcion of the arrow 13b the bobbin 14 is taken along leftwards.

For the next bobbin 15 the same applies; the rightward stroke has no effect but the bobbin is taken along on the leftward stroke. The bobbin 16 on the contrary is taken along on the rightward stroke and immediately thereafter :he bobbin 17 is again moved leftwardly. In this way the nobbins are arranged in two groups on either side of the sorting chute, the wide ends of the bobbins pertaining to both groups being directed to the sorting chute.

FIG. 2 shows also that it is possible to displace the bob- 4 bins in such a way that they come to lie in a telescoped position beside the sorting chute. When the outer bobbins 18a, 18b are more or less stemmed by friction the subsequently fed bobbins are inserted therein.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment wherein the bobbins sorted at the left and at the right of the sorting chute are not telescoped but introduced into containers where they are juxtaposed and uniformly directed. For that purpose receiving containers 19a are provided on either side of sorting chute of which FIG. 4 shows a section. By the aid of carriers 20 which in the figure are diagrammatically represented and of which the drive is synchronized with that of the sorting finger 6 the bobbins, moved up so as to lie beside the chute, are slid into the receiving containers.

FIG. 4 shows a section of this container and the driving mechanism used therewith. Provided in the bottom of the container are two interconnected flaps 21, 21a which can turn on shafts extending parallel to the sorting chute. The flap 21a is connected with the piston rod 22 of the pneumatic cylinder 23. When the container is entirely filled the bottom of the container is opened under the influence of a suitable control signal and the bobbins can fall into a box placed thereunder.

The front side 24 of this container is at its lower end provided with a hingedly connected plate 26 which can turn inwardly on the hinge 25. The bobbins, one of which being denoted by 27, are inwardly pressed along this plate.

When expelled from the sorting chute the bobbins are brought under the pressure plate 28 which is urged downwardly by the spring 29. The carrier 30 is secured to the carriage 32 by means of the pivot 31 and driven by the piston rod 33 of the pneumatic cylinder 34. The end thereof is secured to the frame 36 via the angle piece 35.

When the piston rod 33 moves out the carrier 30 rotates about the pivot 31 and its front side is initially moved upwardly, thereupon the carrier together with the carirage are moved toward the container 19, whereby the bobbin is urged into the container 19. In this way all moved forward bobbins are introduced into the containers whilst being uniformly directed whereby the hindmost bobbins ride up on the curved end wall 29a.

FIG. 5 shows the complete machine. Beside the sorting chute 1 are two receiving chutes 37, 38 of which the two walls 37a, 37b, 38a, 38b, respectively are secured to the supporting rod 47 via the suspension arms 39-46. This rod is again secured to the frame of the machine via the yokes 48, 49.

The lateral plates 37a, 38a can be moved forward due to the action of the pneumatic control cylinders 50, 51. Due to a suitable coupling between the suspension arm the back walls are simultaneously moved backward whereby the chute opens completely and the bobbins in the sorting chute fall downwardly.

Spring loaded pressure plates 52, 53 are provided over the receiving chutes, whereby the bobbins are pressed against the bottom of the chutes. In operation the bobbins are pressed away toward the left and the right of the sorting chute: since they are frictionally retained by the pressure plates 52, 53 the bobbins, being successively moved forward are telescoped. When the stick obtained in this way has a certain length the end thereof contacts the abutment 54 which can be adjusted along the supporting rod 47 to the desired spacing. This abutment 54 operates a microswitch and the control signal obtained in this way can be used for controlling the hydraulic cylinder whereby the sides are moved apart and the bobbins move down.

The fork 9 driving the sorting finger via the guide pin 8 is at the end of a swing arm 55 which via a piston rod 56 of the control cylinder 57 is reciprocated. Due to the simple drive, the uncomplicated path of movement and the small number of moving parts it becomes possible to achieve a high working speed.

The space visible in FIGURE 5 in which the swing arm 55 and the control cylinder 57 are disposed can also be used for accomodating the electrical control and regulating system required for setting the device into motion and controlling the discharge mechanism for the bobbins. This space can be closed by a cover plate provided at 1ts front side which can also support the control panel.

Leftwards and rightwards of the cylinder there can be provided a conveying path along which the boxes serving to receive the sorted bobbins are moved forward.

It is obvious that the receiving chutes represented in this figure can be replaced with a combination of the receiving container represented in the FIGURES 3 and 4, the receiving station and the associated carriers. It 18 also possible to provide on either side of the sorting chute a conveyor path for moving forward the bobbin receiving boxes.

FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically an embodiment in which the bobbins are transferred from a position beside the sorting chute to a posititon perpendicular thereto.

FIG. 7 illustrates the effect of this device. The bobbins sorted on either side of the sorting chute 60 by the sorting finger 61 are brought by carriers 62, 63 (of which the drive is coupled to the drive of the sorting fingers 61) into a position before the sorting chute and perpendicular thereto. Finally all bobbins assume thus a position corresponding with that of the bobbin 64. They may be further conveyed by a suitable conveying plant, or, as hereinafter will be described, at first be col-' lected in a suitable container and thereupon transferred to a transport container.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 6 two receiving plates 65, 6 6 are beside the sorting chute 60, the plates being interconnected by the curve guide rails 67, 68. Above the plane of these rails are the guide rails 69, 70 each carrying a spring loaded pressure shoe 71, 72. The bobbins are moved by the carriers 73a, 73b, 74a, 74b, respectively from the receiving stations 65, 66 to a central location before the sorting chute 60, the movement of the carriers being synchronized with the movement of the sorting finger 61. The carriers 73, 74 are constructed in such a way that on moving from one of the receiving stations to the central position they can take along a bobbin retained between the guide rails 67, 68 and 69, but on returning pass underneath a bobbin present at the receiving station.

Preferably a receiving container will be used constructed as represented in section in FIG. 8. The bottom of this container consists of two flaps 75, 76 which are connected by means of hinges 77, 78 of which the axis are perpendicular to the sorting chute. The container can move from a posititon above the guide rails in which it is filled with the supplied bobbins into a position in front of the installation in which the contents of the container can be discharged into a suitable transport box. A bobbin taken along with a carrier, like the bobbin 79 in FIGURE 8, urges the bottom flap upwardly on the supply side (in this case the flap 76) and is pressed into the container in this way. The bobbins are finally situated in the container with their corresponding ends uniformly directed, and there is no change in this condition when the container is emptied.

FIGURE 9 shows a sorting device according to the invention combined with a bobbin feed mechanism. Beside the sorting device, which as a whole is denoted by the reference 80, are two receiving boxes 81, 82 respectively for the sorted bobbins. The bobbins are fed into a bin 83, from which they are transferred by an inclined conveyor belt (not shown), which in detail is represented in FIGURE to a horizontal conveyor belt 84; this conveyor belt 84 services also as a sorting belt; since those bobbins on which there is still a yarn rest should be removed.

The end part 85 of this conveyor belt is guided in such a way that the central part is deepened with respect to the edge, so that the bobbins are lying all more or less in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt when arriving at the end thereof. They then descend to a conveyor belt 86 which is provided with raised cross parts 87. The vertical distance between the end of the belt 85 and the upwardly inclined part 86a of the belt 86 is chosen in such a way that the bobbins fall in a transverse direction on the belt 86. The guide plate 88 takes thereupon the boddins from the steep downward extending part of the conveyor belt 86 and one by one they are guided to the sorting mechanism of the sorting device 80. The bobbins are then telescoped and delivered to the receiving boxes 81, 82 respectively.

FIGURE 10 shows a preferred embodiment of the slantwise arrangement conveyor belt 89. The belt is provided with a plurality of raised parts 90 which are combined to form rows 91. The elevated parts of each group 91 are situated on a V shaped line, the point of the V being turned in the direction of conveyance indicated by the arrow 92. In this way it is achieved that the bobbins land on the conveyor belt 84 so as to be uniformly distributed thereon.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is.

1. A device for orienting conical bobbins so that the smaller diameter end of each bobbin faces the same direction, comprising a longitudinally extending sorting chute receiving successively supplied bobbins, a receiving station on each longitudinal end of said sorting chute, sorting means comprising a sorting member reciprocal along said sorting chute, means biasing said sorting member towards said sorting chute to a predetermined path of travel along the longitudinal extent of said chute, said path being located so that the larger diameter end of a bobbin disposed in said sorting chute is within said path of travel, whereby the reciprocal sorting finger engages the larger diameter end of each successive bobbin in the sorting chute to slide it longitudinally into one of said receiving stations.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sorting member consists of an oblong finger of which the end directed away from the chute is pivotally supported in a carrier, and means for moving said carrier along a guide situated alongside the chute, said carrier being coupled to a driving member causing the reciprocating movement.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that an adjusting screw is provided in the sorting finger which cooperates with an abutment situated thereunder on said carrier.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that at each receiving station a movable conveyor is provided, said conveyor having a path of travel transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sorting chute and having a drive which is synchronized with that of the sorting device, said conveyor being capable of introducing the bobbin into a container in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bobbin.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the container is provided with means defining a swing bottom, said container having a side opening provided with a barrier permitting the bobbins to pass in one direction only through said side opening.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each receiving station consists of a V-shaped receiving chute having two lateral walls arranged to define an open upper side, means for moving the two lateral walls in a transverse direction for discharging the telescoped bobbins, a resilient pusher disposed over said telescoped bobbins pressing at least the first bobbin, introduced into the chute by the pressure finger, against the bottom face of the chute.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a control feeler is provided for each receiving chute in order to open the chute and to discharge the telescopcd bobbins after a definite number thereof has been introduced into the chute.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the feeler consists of an abutment situated in spaced relationship from and in longitudinal alignment with the end of the chute, and means for adjusting said spacing.

9. Device according to claim 1, further comprising guide means defining a curved path connecting both stations and extending around the sorting chute, two carriers staggered through 90 and each capable of movement away from the respective receiving stations and as far as a central point before the sorting chute, said carriers having a drive which is synchronized with the drive of the sorting finger, whereby a bobbin present in a receiving station can be brought into a position perpendicular to the sorting chute.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that each carrier consists of one or more spring loaded presser fingers protruding above the plane of said guide means and capable of riding up on the side of a bobbin.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized by a container positioned above the guide means and of which the bottom consists of two flaps which are pivotally mounted on axles extending perpendicular to the sorting chute, the free end of the flaps being situated over an axis of symmetry extending perpendicular to the sorting chute, the container being movable in a direction perpendicular to the sorting chute.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,732,283 10/ 1929 Schlaupitz 19833 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l9343; 198-31 

